What an awful list. New York, New England, metro D.C., California, Chicago, Memphis, Atlanta - did I miss any?

In & Out is a decent chain burger, but their food does not belong on any "best of" list that is open to non-chain, non-fast food restaurants. And on my fast food list, In & Out does not even make the top 25.

I wish congress would do something useful and ban slide shows on websites. Thanks for that 2nd link. That said, mixing upscale designer burgers with everyday good ones is not kosher, as far as I'm concerned.

The only reason for "best" lists is to get free publicity to sell the magazine. It is also to appeal to vanity most likely in those markets where subscriptions are highest. It would not surprise me if burger locations correspond closely with the demographics of subscription locations. But if you are not that cynical, then you must surely realize that any poll will center with the greater population or that any list is only as good as the authors' or small panels of people's experience and knowledge. Then there is always the throw away populist chic wild card, i.e. In n Out Burger.

Been to 3 - I wasn't impressed with In and Out or Shake Shack I'd have to say Ted's in Meridien CT beats them both and I wasn't entirely blown away by their burger as well.

Which brings to mind - what are your top 25? You've eaten around a bit.

That's a tough call- I couldn't produce a list of 25- I "spread the wealth" so to speak when I travel so unfortunately (or fortunately) I don't inundate myself with burgers. I can probably put together a list of 10 but I think even that is pushing it....

There's no doubt what's in my number one spot- everything else is up there but is in no particular order...

Been to 3 - I wasn't impressed with In and Out or Shake ShackI'd have to say Ted's in Meridien CT beats them both and I wasn't entirely blown away by their burger as well.

Which brings to mind - what are your top 25? You've eaten around a bit.

That's a tough call- I couldn't produce a list of 25- I "spread the wealth" so to speak when I travel so unfortunately (or fortunately) I don't inundate myself with burgers. I can probably put together a list of 10 but I think even that is pushing it....

There's no doubt what's in my number one spot- everything else is up there but is in no particular order...

Been to 3 - I wasn't impressed with In and Out or Shake Shack I'd have to say Ted's in Meridien CT beats them both and I wasn't entirely blown away by their burger as well.

Which brings to mind - what are your top 25? You've eaten around a bit.

That's a tough call- I couldn't produce a list of 25- I "spread the wealth" so to speak when I travel so unfortunately (or fortunately) I don't inundate myself with burgers. I can probably put together a list of 10 but I think even that is pushing it....

There's no doubt what's in my number one spot- everything else is up there but is in no particular order...

Hmmm, I do see WJ's list does list 40% in those cattle raising areas that Bill Voss (MT and NE) was wondering about. Now, who's list would you like to take on the road, WanderingJew's or that magazine's?

Very interesting article. Considering Julia Child was such huge fan of In-N-Out, along with countless other chefs, I'll concur it belongs on the list. (Foodbme hit the nail on the head with his remark.)

Very interesting article. Considering Julia Child was such huge fan of In-N-Out, along with countless other chefs, I'll concur it belongs on the list. (Foodbme hit the nail on the head with his remark.)

I think if we took a poll, most people here would take my advice, or the advice of a Buffetbuster, or a Travelin Man and a few select others when it comes to burgers versus a fluff piece from a magazine. I can assure you I've steered very few people in the wrong direction with my advice when it comes to good Roadfood

I'm not sure what the psychological explanation is, but it is conventional wisdom in the publishing business, especially magazines, that numbers sell: "101 Best Scrapple Recipes," "How to Lose 20 Pounds in 5 Days," "6 Tater Tot Casseroles to Feed a Family of 12", etc. We even did it in 500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late, and the forthcoming edition of Roadfood has a banner on the cover that says With 200 New Listings. Obviously, the magazine lists are especially effective with subjects about which people are passionate and likely to debate... like best hamburgers, pizza, barbecue, diners.

I'm not sure what the psychological explanation is, but it is conventional wisdom in the publishing business, especially magazines, that numbers sell: "101 Best Scrapple Recipes," "How to Lose 20 Pounds in 5 Days," "6 Tater Tot Casseroles to Feed a Family of 12", etc. We even did it in 500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late, and the forthcoming edition of Roadfood has a banner on the cover that says With 200 New Listings. Obviously, the magazine lists are especially effective with subjects about which people are passionate and likely to debate... like best hamburgers, pizza, barbecue, diners.

Micheal,

I can assure you that you and Jane are far from fluff- You're both 100% pure meat and (real) potatoes (and pizza and chili and bbq and fried chicken , hot dogs and lobster) in my book!

We can take polls until the Kobe beef comes home, but I definitely have to defer to Julia Child on this one (also Julzy and Lopez).

In and out is a better than average fast food burger. I've had it- Twice- it's OK. In fact I think I preferred it slightly (but just ever so) over Shake Shack. However to be fair I went to the shake shack at Citi Field and I'm not sure if the quality is up to par with the other locations.Would I go out of my way to get one again, probably not because there are better options out there, however for the price it probably is one of the better ones out there, however if I lived near one I certainly would get one if the mood strikes me. Have I had better fast food burgers yes- Char Grill in Raleigh and the local chain Kidd Valley in Seattle blew it right out of the water, have I had had better burgers in general- a BIG EMPHATIC YES-If we took a poll, I have a strong feeling that many folks would take my advice (and the advice of a few select others over yours)- just a slight hunch

I'm not giving advice nor requesting any. I said that I'd concur with In-N-Out's placement on the list. I didn't say you or anyone else should or must do the same. Heck, I didn't even say your opinon was wrong. It's a subject on which lots of people can disagree. I can't imagine how one can take issue with such a statement.

I'm not giving advice nor requesting any. I said that I'd concur with In-N-Out's placement on the list. I didn't say you or anyone else should or must do the same. Heck, I didn't even say your opinon was wrong. It's a subject on which lots of people can disagree. I can't imagine how one can take issue with such a statement.

Just saying that for someone who has 1286 posts that doesn't really provide alot of substance, saying my list and opinions mean nothing is nothing short of rude, obnoxious and condescending. I know that unfortunately I have to fight my own battles with very little support from others but I can assure you if you said the same thing to certain others you would have received alot of heat from other posters coming to their defense.

No, I haven't traveled all over NA but I will offer my top 3. Such that they are anyway.

First off, my favourite burger of all time. From Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger in Ann Arbor, Michigan a quad with cheese (slice) and bacon.

Next is a Double Double from The Burgers Priest in Toronto, Ontario. The owner grew up on In n Out and is using it as a model. Beef is ground on site several times a day."

Third is the Dagwood from Dixie Freeze in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. Basically a double cheeseburger with a BLT on top."

I find it sad that a once great burger here in Toronto has deteriorated into the mediocrity that is our burger scene. Ask anyone around here about Lick's in the 80's and their eyes will gloss over as saliva starts to run out of their mouths. The Fire Pit also offered a great burger but sadly they went out of business in the early 90's. Still a great burger but a few shades lesser is the mamoth home burger at 3 Coins Open Kitchen in Richmond Hill, Ontario. The former owners in the mid 90's made one spectacular burger. They alone converted me to a flat top guy. As opposed to char broiled.